Alberta disburses final round of flood and drought grants

Alberta disburses final round of flood and drought grants

On Thursday, the Alberta government announced that it would disburse $1 million in grants to help enhance the region to withstand flood and drought.

The announcement marks the third and final round of grants provided through the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program. The program was launched in 2014 to address the severe flooding that struck southern Alberta the year before. Since the program’s inception, the government has granted $18.5 million to 30 organizations.

The $1-million pledged Thursday will be distributed to 12 communities across the province, reported globalnews.ca. The money will be used to fund for projects such as the renewal of riparian areas, development of wetlands, installation of rain gardens in urban locations, soil bioengineering, application of agricultural best practices, and encouraging the use of beaver structures.

“Improving natural watersheds is an important part of our plan to help vulnerable communities like Calgary and others across the province adapt to a changing climate,” Minister of Environment and Parks Shannon Phillips remarked in a release.

“The City of Calgary is pleased to hear that the province is moving ahead with additional Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program projects in the Bow and Elbow River watersheds,” commented Ron Spackman, director of water resources for Calgary.